She Loves the Chase
by UntappedChaos
Summary: Natsume was calmer, more refined, more of a lady than her sister ever considered being. In most opinions, there was no way anyone who knew both sisters would ever choose the clumsy, awkward Ichigo. "I know you like oneechan, but it's not fair when she's taken and you aren't. Can't I be considered? Am I not charming as she is?"


Despite being American and having _more_ than his fair share of both women and girls, Johnny was absolutely perplexed when he noticed signals from Amano Natsume. Maybe perplexed wasn't a strong enough word...probably flummoxed. Yes, flummoxed was a much more accurate description. She was attractive, no doubt about that; Natsume was calmer, more refined, more of a lady than her sister ever considered being. She had all kinds of class, from her smart manner of dress to her keen attention to detail. In most opinions, there was no way anyone who knew both sisters would ever choose the clumsy, awkward Ichigo.

Johnny was not "most people," however. He considered Ichigo genuine and artless, and absolutely adorable for it.

' _So why is it that_ _ **this**_ _one took a shine to me instead?'_ he asked himself, mentally escaping from his current, highly questionable situation. Natsume wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat as she pressed against him.

"Johnny-kun, aren't you going to congratulate me on my college entrance exams? That little card just _won't do_ y'know," she purred, batting her long lashes flirtatiously. "I worked harder than anyone else for that piano scholarship."

"Yeah, I know! But I sent some great sweets with it, right? I made them myself and overnighted them so they'd be fresh, right?" he asked, trying to inch his way out of her grip. Naturally, she didn't budge. "I made them myself, with hand-selected ingredients, no cut corners! That's good, right? Shouldn't that be enough?"

"No, no, no! _That_ ," she said cutely, "is exactly the reason _why_ it's not enough." Her voice went soft, eyes lit with laughter and yet gentle. He knew exactly what she thought of him; it was troubling. He never once tried to win her affections or interest, and yet here she was. She was forcefully caging him against a table, practically draping herself across his chest, her ever-so-talented right hand reaching up to trail delicate fingers against his jaw, one soft pad slipping across his bottom lip with a touch of wonder. "It's... not nearly enough at all."

 _'_ _Oh, snap.'_

"You treat me special, then push me away. Your mixed signals really _aren't_ fair," she murmured, leaning closer to his ear so as not to alert the family members in the next room still partying away without them. "I know you like oneechan, but it's not fair when she's taken and you aren't. Can't I be considered? Am I not charming as she is?"

"Natsume is very cute..."

"I don't need empty compliments, Johnny. From you, they actually hurt. They always have the unspoken 'but she's just cuter, better, more' after them," she murmured, but her eyes stayed gentle if not a little sad. "There's nothing to stop me from stealing you away, though. I can be patient. I can persuade you, if that's what you need. I'll give my all to charm you, to steal your heart away from her, because even if she _is_ my beloved elder sister, you're the one I want to have forever."

She wasn't nearly tall enough, but she craned her neck a little, on tip-toe, and pressed a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw. It was heartbreaking, soft and lonely, begging and yet patient. A peal of familiar laughter drifted over them, and it killed him a little inside. The indecision was terrible for all of them. It made Ichigo feel awkward and Makoto angry, and for Natsume... it just hurt her deep inside, didn't it? Johnny knew all that without having to be told, and he still hesitated.

The heart is such a hard thing to move. It never goes the way we want it to.

"You've got to be a masochist to keep this up," he muttered, heaving a sigh as he reached to pat her on the head. The result was a quiet giggle that he didn't dare check for signs of tears.

"What can I say? I love the chase."

—

 **AN: Um. So yeah. This oneshot's been sitting around for at least three or four years without an ending... so I finished the ending in five minutes and decided it was done. =v=; More of my strange YumePati crack pairing love. I finally found a working torrent for this series, so I have the whole thing downloaded again. *v* Maybe I'll write a happier one for them at some point... but this is what I had for now if they were going to stay in character.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated~!**


End file.
